Puzzle



June.5, 1956 s. N. vosE 2,749,129

PUZZLE Filed April 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l MAKEs Ewes K N l T S l 9 MW. STATE 4/ B a E l s 4 ENGLISH MAN'S (ABB.) B R NihLI-Z E D ALL RIGHT (SLANG) he MAKES 'NE''JPES K N I T S YA$N NW. E I STATE @BEL L s z'zss" B R E D 1; a: Iaavenfofl:

Samuel M Vbse,

June 5, 1956 s. N. VOSE 2,749,129

PUZZLE Filed April 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a S .L

z 1 PROPHET E (I ENGLISH (ABB United States Patent PUZZLE Samuel N. Vose, Brookline, Mass.

Application April 8, 1954,-Serial No. 421,766

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-157) The present invention relates to an educational and amusement game device.

One object of the present invention lies in providing a compact, simple and inexpensive game which is appropriate for amusement, as well as educational purposes, for both children and adults.

Another object of the present invention lies in providing a game device for aiding children to learn how to spell and to learn the meanings of words by the association between words and symbols, words and illustrations, and words and definitions.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game involving the reconstruction, in its original form, of a completed cross-word puzzle which has been cut into pieces of varying sizes and shapes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a game wherein the clues to the words of such completed cross-word puzzle are incorporated in the puzzle proper.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle which, when assembled, has on the surface thereof a completed cross-word puzzle and the clues to the words thereof, which comprise block-outlined indicia.

Still another object is to provide such a puzzle wherein the clues to the words of the cross-word puzzle are incorporated in the puzzle proper.

With the above objects in view, and any others which may suggest themselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing which is merely illustrative of, but does not limit, the present invention and in which- I Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the present device in an unassembled state;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in an assembled state;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pieces of Fig. l as they might be outlined on a sheet of backing material in a disarranged manner.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is a flat square panel of paper, cardboard, wood, plastic, or other material having printed on its top surface a completed cross-Word puzzle and which is cut into pieces 2 of varied dimensions and shapes, each of which has on its surface a portion of the cross-word puzzle.

Since pieces 2 are produced by cutting up the square 1 in a predetermined manner, it is apparent that the edges of pieces 2 cooperate with each other to effect a completed cross-word puzzle when properly matched and assembled as shown in Fig. 2. The proper matching, mating and assembling, as shown in Fig. 2, of these unassembled precut pieces, as shown in Fig. 1, is the aim of the puzzle of the present invention.

It will be noted that the completed cross-word puzzle disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 difiers from known cross-word puzzles in that the clues to the words in the puzzle, instead of being separate and apart from the puzzle proper, are incorporated into the puzzle proper itself.

Fatented June 5, 1956 Furthermore, unlike known cross-word puzzles, the clues herein comprise not only word descriptions but also include other forms of clues such as pictures, anagrams, rebuses, and the like, which becomes an intelligible clue in its vertical or horizontal cross-word line.

In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 one of such clues takes the form of a picture 3 of an ill person, which gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereunder, 'when the pieces of the puzzle are properly assembled, spell ill. Similarly, sketch 4 of two bells gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereafter, when the pieces of the cross-cut puzzle are properly assembled, spell the word bells. Rebus 5 shows a bone skeleton which gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereafter, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word os, which is an anatomical and zoological term for bones. Sketch 6 of a stile gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereunder, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word stile. The anagram in square 7, having the letters of the word sneer disarranged, is the clue that the letters in the square thereunder, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word sneer. The word preposition in square 8 suggests that the letters in the squares thereunder, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word as. N. W. State in square 9 is a clue that the letters in the squares thereunder, when the pieces are properly assembled, are S. D., an abbreviation for South Dakota. Mans name in square 10 is a clue that the letters in the squares thereafter, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word Ed. English (AB3) in square 11 gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereafter, when the pieces are properly assembled, are BR. The definition Makes with needle and yarn in square 12 gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereafter, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word knits. Prophet in square 13 gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereafter, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word Eli who was a prophet. Shot in square 14 gives a clue that the letters in such square and the square thereafter, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell BB which is a form of shot. All right (slang) in square 15 gives a clue that the letters in the squares thereunder, when the pieces are properly assembled, spell the word OK which is a slang expression for all right. Filled-in square 16, as in known cross-word puzzles, are merely blank spaces which do not contain letters.

In Fig. 3 the pieces of Figs. 1 and 2 are shown printed or mounted on a sheet of paper, carboard or any other backing material in a disarranged manner so that the pieces may be conveniently obtained by cutting along the outer edges thereof on the sheet for the purpose of assembly. If desired the outer edges of the pieces can be perforated or scored for convenient severance from the backing.

Although particular definitions, anagrams, rebuses, sketches, pictures, expressions and the like, are shown in the figures, it will be appreciated that the clues may be of infinite forms and varieties and the present invention is not limited thereto.

With few exceptions each individual piece contains, in

addition to at least one letter, a clue thereon to a word,

at least a part but with few exceptions not all of which, is on said piece.

Although the cross-word puzzle of the drawing is made up of a plurality of square areas, it will be appreciated that it may be made up of areas of any shape or size.

As in known cross-word puzzles, each letter in each space is usually part of both a vertical and a horizontal word.

It is apparent that the clues on the individual pieces,

in conjunction with the letters on such pieces and adjacent pieces together with the shape of said pieces, act as clues to the position of such pieces in the completed puzzle.

Although each piece in the figures is angularly shaped and the edges thereof fall on lines separating the square areas of the puzzle, this is not essential and the invention includes Within its scope pieces of other forms and shapes whose edges do not necessarily fall on the lines separating the areas of the puzzle. Furthermore, the assembled puzzle may be of any shape desired.

The puzzle may be prepared in uncut form with the top surface obscured by some means such as a piece of paper or the like, and with lines drawn thereon to indicate the proper size and shapeof the pieces. By cutting along these lines and removing the paper the cut puzzle is then available for reassembly.

Although the particular puzzle shown is rather simple in character, it will be appreciated that it may he made as complicated and intricate as desired. For example, a puzzle intended for children would be made relatively simple while a puzzle intended for adults would he more complicated.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction, design, and

clues of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

A puzzle comprising a set of fiat puzzle pieces of varied shapes and dimensions and adapted to be assembled together in the manner of a jig-saw puzzle to form a com plete panel, each piece having thereon variegated blockoutlined indicia comprising a portion of a completed cross-Word puzzle, certain of the blocks on each said piece including a portion of a word, and certain of the remaining hiocits comprising an intelligible clue to the word in its vertical or horizontal crossword line, the shape of said pieces, in conjunction with said indicia thereon and the shape and indicia oneach mating piece, cooperatively facilitating proper matching and assembly of said pieces to produce an assembled panel constituting a completed crossword puzzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 175,519 Steiger Mar. 28, 1876 231,963 Luers Sept. 7, 1880 1,907,382 Birdsall May 2, 1933 2,395,312 Barnes Feb. 19, i946 

